Getting to Know You
by MagicGirlinAMuggleWorld
Summary: James and Lily learn a bit more about each other when they share a detention.


_Autumn 1975_

James entered the Transfiguration classroom for Saturday afternoon detention and was surprised to see a girl already seated at one of the desks, head bent low, hand moving rapidly across the page as she shaded in a pencil sketch of a dragon. Several tendrils of her deep red hair had come loose from the messy bun she was wearing and fell in a curtain that partially hid her face. But James would know that hair anywhere.

"Evans?" he asked, perplexed, "What're you doing here?"

Lily glanced up from her drawing and scowled. "Detention, obviously."

"Well, I see that, but I didn't think you ever broke the rules."

Lily hmphed and went back to her sketch. "Shows what you know. Some things are more important than _rules_."

"I couldn't agree more, I just—" James was interrupted by a voice emanating from his trousers.

"Prongs! Oi, Prongs!"

Instinctively, Lily's eyes darted towards the door, then, seeing no one there, back to James. He stood in the middle of the classroom frozen like a deer in headlights, as though he hoped if he stood perfectly still she might forget she'd heard anything at all. Any such hopes were dashed when Lily raised an eyebrow and asked, "Was that…Sirius?"

"What?" James said quickly, reaching up to give his hair a nervous rub. "Of course not." He slid into the desk next to Lily's and tried to look casual.

"PRONGS!"

James grimaced and snatched something from his pocket. Angling himself away from Lily, he hissed into his hands, "What, you moron? I'm in detention!"

Sirius was unfazed. "Of course you are, that's why I'm using the mirrors, isn't it? I had to reach you, this is important!"

James glanced back at Lily, who was still looking at him curiously, and gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Turning back to the mirror, he nodded impatiently. "Out with it, then."

"Evans punched Avery!" Sirius crowed. "In the library! Socked him right in the nose for bad-mouthing Mary." He snickered, and James could see his friend's wolfish grin. "Bloody brilliant! Wish I could've seen it. "

"Well, that explains quite a bit, doesn't it?" James said, and he swung the mirror around so that Sirius could see Lily sitting next to him. Lily stared at the polished glass – in which she saw not her own reflection, but Sirius' smiling face – in wonder.

"Indeed it does. Evans!" Sirius cried, waving at her. "You're ace, love, I couldn't be prouder! Is this your first detention? An excellent first showing, I'd say, punching a bell-end like Avery! You don't do anything by halves, do you?" He laughed some more. "Now, don't you worry, detention's nothing to be scared of. Jamie will take good care of you." Lily started to protest that she was hardly afraid of a little detention, but Sirius was still rambling gleefully and didn't hear her. "In fact, I'll leave you two to it, I'm sure you can tell him the story of your fisticuffs far better than I've done. Say hello to Minnie for me, she ought to be by to check on you in – drat, less than two minutes, now. I'd best be going. Until later, Prongs."

Sirius' face disappeared from the mirror, and the room was suddenly silent. James ruffled his hair again. "Erm…" he began.

"You two have…magic mirrors…so you never have to be apart?" Lily looked impressed, but also like she was struggling not to laugh.

"Well, that's hardly how I'd describe them," James said, frowning. He pointed an accusing finger at Lily and added, "And don't try to change the subject! You punched Avery!?"

Lily crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. "And I'd do it again. The things he was saying were _horrible_."

"I've no doubt," James conceded. "I guess I just thought you were more of a 'Make Love, Not War' type, you know? 'Violence is never the answer,' or something like that." He wagged a mocking finger at her and winked.

"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do, then." Lily put a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes at James. "Anyroad, you're one to talk! You duel with at least one Slytherin nearly every day!"

"No, of course, you're right." James' hazel eyes were twinkling as he raised his hands in mock surrender. "But, that's the point, isn't it? Fighting the Slytherins is sort of _my_ thing. If _you're_ doing it, what am I going to do instead? Take over prefect duties?"

A smirk pulled at the corner of Lily's mouth. " _That_ would be a sight to see."

"It would, wouldn't it?" James settled back in his chair and laughed. "Maybe one day. I'm full of surprises, Evans. You have no idea."

* * *

AN: Another of my tumblr one-shots from about a year ago, just a silly moment when my kids might wonder if there's more to the other than they first thought. Hope you enjoyed it!


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